US Transportation Department orders Oklahoma bus company closed

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The U.S. Department of Transportation says it is ordering an Oklahoma City-based charter bus company to shut down.

A news release said Friday the department is ordering Heartland Charters & Tours to immediately shut down because of what the department calls a "hazard to public safety."

The release said investigators with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that the company did not screen potential drivers for drugs and that it failed to use properly qualified drivers.

A woman who answered a phone call at Heartland Charters & Tours on Friday said that the company is making "any corrections" required by the Department of Transportation. She refused to give her name and would not answer other questions.